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China Plans on New GHS Standards by 2014

China releases plan to formulate and revise a bunch of national standards: GB 13690 to be revised again and the first GB standard on GHS classification for chemical hazard to the ozone layer is officially put on the agenda.

China is beginning from 2012 the formulation and revision of two compulsory national standards (so called GB standards) regarding China GHS classification, according to a recent ministerial notice issued from China’s Standardization Administration (SAC) on August the 13th. The two GBs will go together with in all over two thousand compulsory (1,124) and recommended (1,052) national standards which SAC has determined to lay down by 2014 as a first group of its 2012 national standard plan.

One GB standard, which concerns the safety rules of classification, precautionary labelling and precautionary statements for chemical substances harmful to the ozone layer, is scheduled for the first time drafting. Back to 2006, when China adopted the second revision of the “Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals”(GHS) (ST/SG/AC.10/30/Rev.2), it followed only 26 hazard categories and failed since then to include two later norms for “aspiration hazard” and “hazard to the ozone layer”. In consequence, the decision to complement China’s current insufficient classification with one additional hazard is made with a view to enhance the implementation of GHS in China to a broader extent.

For another GB, it is the second revision to the Chinese “General rule for classification and hazard communication of chemicals (GB 13690)” since its 2009 edition replaced GB 13690-1992. GB 13690 provides general but mandatory directions for GHS classification in China. Companies are also advised to refer to the specific 26 GB rules (GB 20576 - GB 20599 and GB 20601 - GB 20602) for detailed hazard categories, precautionary labelling or precautionary statements of chemicals. Now the upcoming latest version is going to adopt the fourth revision of UN GHS (ST/ST/AC.10/30/Rev. 4).

Also important and new to the chemical industry include one recommended GB/T guidance addressing consumers risk assessment based on GHS chemical labels, one general rules for the chemical risk assessment, one norm on warning marks for chemical workplaces as well as 16 important GB/T standards on chemical exposure tests. All of them are to be compiled as the first draft and most have adopted internationally accepted standards like OECD guidelines and UN GHS Rev. 4.

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